Govt seeks parliament approval for latest cabinet reshuffle

The incumbent administration is seeking parliament approval for the changes to the cabinet it brought on December 26^th last year, which included merging the Ministry of Construction and Ministry Housing as a single state body.

The current government started with 22 ministries, but with the latest reshuffle to the cabinet, one of the authorities has been dissolved by transferring its mandate under another.

The primary changes to the cabinet ordered by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu include:

Merging the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development with the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure, and renaming it the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure: The Ministry of Construction Dr. Abdulla Muththalib was appointed as the Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure

Changing the mandate of national planning from the Ministry of Housing to the Ministry of Finance and renaming the authority as the Ministry of Finance and Planning

Appointing the Minister of Housing, Dr. Ali Haidar as the Minister of Higher Education

Appointing the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Mariyam Mariya as the Minister of Agriculture

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu submitted a letter to the parliament on December 29^th last year, seeking parliamentary approval for this change.

The letter was read at Thursday’s parliamentary sitting, which was held during the recess. At the parliament, it was decided to submit the matter to the Government Oversight Committee for review.

Dr. Aishath Rameela, who was originally appointed as the Minister of Agriculture resigned citing health issues, after which the authority was temporarily under the helm of Dr. Mariya.

The latest reshuffle is the second time Dr. Muizzu has brought notable changes to the cabinet since taking helm as the Maldives head of state.

Previously, President Muizzu changed Moosa Zameer as the Minister of Finance to Minister of Foreign Affairs, which he currently holds while Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, who was first appointed as the Minister of Health was later appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Former Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim was appointed as the new Health Minister.

Zameer was appointed as the Minister of Finance, after the first Finance Minister of the current administration, Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq resigned.